Thursday, June 29, 2023
Executive Summary:
- HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) releases draft framework for smoking cessation.
- Framework aims to enhance collaboration across HHS and stakeholders for equitable outcomes.
- Smoking accounts for approximately 30% of all cancer deaths in the US.
- Framework part of the administration’s Cancer Moonshot goal to reduce cancer mortality.
- Public comment period open for 30 days starting June 30, 2023.
- Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health coordinates the development of the framework.
- Framework focuses on six goals including eliminating smoking-related disparities and expanding public health surveillance.
- Public and private entities invited to submit responses to the Request for Information (RFI).
Unedited Press Release Text:
FACT SHEET: HHS Releases Draft Framework to Accelerate Efforts to Help Americans Avoid and Quit Smoking
HHS seeking public input in draft tobacco cessation framework, which will advance goals of the Biden Administration’s Cancer Moonshot
Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) is releasing a draft framework to support and accelerate smoking cessation, building on supports that are already in place for people who want to quit. This framework will be a roadmap to enhance collaboration and coordination across HHS—and with federal and nonfederal stakeholders—to drive further progress toward smoking cessation and to deliver equitable outcomes for all persons in America. HHS is seeking public input on the framework before it is finalized.
Smoking causes approximately 30 percent of all cancer deaths in the nation—making it the largest single driver of cancer deaths in America. Driving progress towards smoking cessation is essential to achieving the Biden-Harris Administration’s Cancer Moonshot goals, and to advancing health equity. Ahead of the President’s State of the Union, the Administration announced that helping Americans avoid smoking in the first place and supporting Americans who want to quit would be a major priority for the Cancer Moonshot this year.
Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States, leading to more than 480,000 deaths each year. Smoking is the largest single driver of cancer mortality, causing approximately 30% of all cancer deaths. The Biden-Harris administration has made it a priority to reach the Cancer Moonshot goal of reducing cancer mortality by 50% within 25 years. Driving progress towards smoking cessation is essential to achieving this goal.
The draft Framework was developed with valued input from subject matter experts across HHS. The Framework aims to accelerate smoking cessation and reduce smoking-related health disparities by building on current activities and collaborations across the Department. The draft Framework uses an equity lens that focuses on supporting and accelerating smoking cessation for people disproportionately impacted.
The public comment period will be open for 30 days starting June 30, 2023, through July 30 at 11:59 PM EST. HHS is committed to transparency and providing opportunities for public participation during the development of the Framework.
Process to Develop the HHS Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation
The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) is coordinating the development of an HHS Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation by working across HHS agencies and offices as well as with other federal offices and departments.
OASH is using a variety of strategies to engage diverse stakeholders and subject matter experts, to drive further progress toward smoking cessation, with an emphasis on serving populations and communities disproportionately impacted by smoking-related morbidity and mortality.
The draft Framework is organized around six goals:
- Eliminate smoking-related and cessation-related disparities;
- Increase awareness and knowledge of smoking and cessation;
- Strengthen and sustain cessation services and supports;
- Increase access to and coverage of comprehensive, evidence-based cessation treatment;
- Expand public health surveillance of smoking and cessation behaviors and strengthen performance measurement and evaluation; and
- Promote ongoing and innovative research to support and accelerate smoking cessation.
These goals serve as a foundation for the current activities and will guide HHS’ efforts to drive further progress toward cessation.
About the Request for Information
Through this Request for Information (RFI), OASH seeks input from individuals, associations, governmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and private sector entities.
OASH will use the responses to this RFI to inform the development of an HHS Framework and subsequent steps that identify key strategies and priority actions to ensure that every person in America has access to comprehensive, evidence-based cessation treatment and can benefit from HHS cessation supports, programs, and policies.
Respondents are asked to answer any and/or all of the following questions:
- Are the proposed goals appropriate and relevant for addressing the needs of populations disparately affected by smoking?
- Do the broad strategies capture the key components and aspects needed to drive progress toward increasing cessation?
- Are there additional goals or broad strategies that should be included in the Framework?
- What targeted actions should HHS (Department-wide or within a specific HHS agency) take to advance these goals and strategies?
- What metrics and benchmarks should be included to ensure that the Framework drives progress?
How to Submit a Public Comment to the Request for Information
Anyone can comment. Each responding entity (person or organization) is requested to submit only one response via email to HHSSmokingCessationFramework2023@hhs.gov as a Word document, Portable Document Format (PDF), or in the body of an email. Please include “Request for Information: Draft HHS 2023 Framework to Support and Accelerate Smoking Cessation” in the subject line of the email message.
OASH welcomes responses to inform policies and actions to accelerate and support smoking cessation efforts. Respond to one or as many questions as you choose. Be concise with your submissions, please use 12-point or larger font, with a page number provided on each page. Responses should include the name of the person(s) or organization(s) filing the comment.
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